Path of the Wind
by Mono Hearted
Summary: After Riven's self-exile from the Noxian Military, she swore to herself that she will change Noxus for the better. However, once she has done this, Riven realizes just far her goal is. Rated M for potential sexual content in the future. Thanks


**A/N: Thanks for clicking on my story~ It's my first story on here, so I would like any advice. This is just the first chapter, and I don't know how regularly I will be updating.**

**Not much else to say, but enjoy.**

Her ivory hair shined as the unforgiving rain assaulted her. She sighed and pulled her hood up to hide her features. This was her daily lifestyle, ever since her self-imposed exile. In the corner of some dark, filthy alley, her only known home. Her sheer cloth attire did nothing to help her from the frigidness of this dreary place. In Zaun, places like this are extremely common, and so people walk past without sparing her a second glance. It was quite important to hide her identity, as it would not end well if people recognized her.

_Why am I here?_

Her mind throbbed, and she held a hand to her forehead in an attempt to relieve the familiar pain.

_My name is Riven. _

This seemed to be the only part of her that will never change, after all that has happened to her, in the past. She closed her eyes. Throughout the years of loneliness, she mastered the technique of meditation, that allowed her to clear her mind, however did nothing to ease the things her war-ragged body has went through.

_The grass under her feet were soft and wet, creating a squishing sound for every step she took. The sky was blue, the sun was in the middle of the sky, surrounded by snowy clouds. They knew not what was about to happen on this...dreadful day._

_A scout from the Fury Company ran up to her, out of breathe._

"_Commander! Those damned Ionians are nowhere to been seen. I think those damned Melters killed 'em all!"_

_The Noxian-Zaunite alliance were key for invading the Ionian forces, which were a lot more resilient then they first thought. Their swordsmen and code of honor made them a considerable foe. To the Zaunite's new death machines, however, they were no match. The Couer Valley was littered with bodies of Ionians, their blood staining the ground red._

"_Forward." Riven ordered._

_As the company marched on, the sight of a petite Ionian girl made them stop in their tracks. She looked to be in her mid-teenage years, and admittedly, Riven found her quite cute. She was kneeling on the ground, weeping for what was assumed to be a loved one. Upon seeing the company, her eyes widened and her tears fell._

"_No no no no no," she muttered, choking. "No more, please."_

_Two of her soldiers went to restrain her, both showing doubt on their faces, showing they would rather not do this. However, they did their job, as they were trained to._

_Suddenly, with a wave of the girl's hand, the two soldiers collapsed to the ground surrounded by a red mist. Her surprise was evident on her face. When she finally realized what happened, which was within a split second, she yelled "Ambush!"_

_Ionian soldiers sprang out of their hiding places aside their fallen allies. Their company was surrounded nearly instantly. It was a trap, and they fell right into them. A distress flare went off, as the soldiers fought for their lives. As an Ionian jumped out at Riven, she swung her massive runic broadsword, taking down multiple soldiers with just the swing._

"_You are beyond redemption!" She yelled, as she executed her signature fighting combo known as her wings. However, even with every Ki Burst and Wind Slash she used, more Ionians took their place. As much as she hated to admit it, They were outnumbered. Her men were exhausted and demoralized. There was no way they could win this._

"_Where are our reinforcements?!" She thought._

_Just as the thought went through her mind, a blinding ball of light erupted near her, barely missing her, causing Ionians and Noxians alike to fly in all directions. The Zaunite Melters had opened fire. Left and right, people were running around, trying to escape the chaos, some clawing at their skin._

_A rage built within her. Where was the strength in this cowardice? She made a decision – She _will _live, and she will fix what is wrong with Noxus. She ran, and did not look back, not a single time._

Riven awoke with a hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. On impulse, she grabbed the arm and twisted it, meanwhile picking up her broken sword with her other. The woman squealed as she did so. She forced the woman's arm behind her back, and pressing her sword against the small of her back. The woman was clad in a white robe, that seemed to float in the breeze, despite not being wind. Riven narrowed her eyes, this must be a mage. Since her self-imposed exile, she has had a lot of pursuers, attempting to bring down the traitor. Needless to say, she easily dealt with them all.

"You have 3 seconds to say who you are, why you are here, and who you work for." Riven hissed.

"M-My name is Janna! I only wanted to help you, as it was raining, I did not want you to catch a cold. Would you like to sleep at my house tonight?" She squealed.

As she considered her offer, she thought of the last time she had an actual bed to sleep on. While she was wandering, she had not the money to rent a room from an inn. It must have been back when she was in the military.

"I don't need pity from someone like you... b-but a night's rest does sound good.." Riven said, blushing. As soon as she said it, she realized that she said it out loud and flushed a deep shade of red. "T-That's not what I meant, Zaunite s-scum!"

Janna giggled. "I know how you feel, I used to live on the streets as well. I was born in the slums here, but since the League was built, I've been able to live in relative luxury. Here, follow me."

Abashedly, Riven obliged. "My name is Riven." Janna nodded, with a smile, without asking anything else.

All those years of wandering has made her quite hard emotionally, as you generally learn that no one really wants to help you. However, she sensed no malice from this wind mage. As they walked through the streets of Zaun, she couldn't help but ask a question that was on her mind.

"What's the League?" asked Riven. She had heard of such a place in her travels, but it only had been conversations that she had overheard, and did not contain much detail. She mostly ignored it, as it seemed to be nothing special. The way Janna mentioned it, however, was intriguing.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't explain," exclaimed Janna. "The League is still relatively new, so it's not that well known yet. The League of Legends is a place run by people called Summoners. It was made in an attempt to stop something like the Rune Wars from happening again."

"Summoners?" asked Riven. She knew about the Rune Wars – Everyone did. Within the last 200 years, Runeterra had been ravaged by stray magicks, causing Runeterra to become a magical battlefield. Said magicks damaged Valoran, causing the world to become increasingly unstable. Not only were there natural disasters caused by magic overuse, magic was still constantly being abused in wars.

"Summoners are very powerful people, who control extremely powerful spells, capable of stopping time on a large mass, mind reading, and transporting matter through transportation. Just a friendly tip... try not to mess with them." Janna chuckled.

"The League basically are battlefields, called the Fields of Justice. Us Champions fight each other within them to settle disputes. If you die, you are magically revived. Don't ask me how it works, I don't understand myself."

"I... see. That's interesting. Where is this 'League of Legends'? It seems like a place I want to visit some day." Riven said, thoughtfully.

Janna looked back at Riven in surprise. "Have you not heard of the Institute of War? It's basically in the middle of Runeterra, between Demacia and Noxus. Generally, the Institute are on most newer maps."

Riven scratched her head in embarrassment. "I... have basically been wandering. I don't really pay attention to maps. That's the Prodigal Explorer's job.. oh wait." Both Janna and Riven chuckled at the Piltover's most obnoxious explorer.

"We're here, Riven!" Janna looked back at a stunned Riven. "...What? Are you okay, Riven?"

Riven's jaw hung open as she stared at the mansion that Janna called her house. She did not think she would ever see something like this in Zaun, out of all places. "Y-you live here? Just how rich are you?"

Again, Janna giggled. "The League of Legends pays most for most of our major purchase, and even then, we still get a very good amount for a salary. But don't fear, this is not really a mansion. This is just one of the many doorways that lead to the League. Here, it'll be easier to show you."

Janna dug through her pockets for a key, and unlocked the door. Riven was even more confused, from what she saw, it was just a normal mansion (a very luxurious one at that.) Janna beckoned her within the door. As soon as she stepped through, she almost fell from disorientation. She was now on the great marble floor of a grand building. The places was bustling with purple-robed people, who Riven assumed were Summoners. Many of them were chattering and gossiping. The place was like nothing she's seen before – It was like a town. The place she was standing in was like a welcoming hall, one you would see in a hotel.

"Here, come with me. I'll give you a tour around this place." Janna said excitedly.

She led her through a mall-like place, that had restaurants, tea shops, clothing shops, anything you could imagine. Summoners and Champions alike were bustling around. She spotted a nine-tailed fox, arm-in-arm with a Summoner, jumping around happily with bags in her hand.

"This is the marketplace. Here, we buy things with 'RP', but none of us know what it stands for. It's really quite handy, really."

Next, then passed a lounge, with Summoners cheering at a flat-screened contraption, as they watched a fight. It seemed these were the matches in the League. Hours flew by like minutes as Janna lead Riven throughout the Institute. It really made Riven how big this place was. Finally, they passed the residency wings, with Zaun, Ionia, Noxian, Demacian, and apolitical regions.

"Here we are. Most of the champions live here. They can live in there own regions, however, if they wish to. Anyway, this concludes our tour. Whew, that was quite the walk hmm?" wheezed Janna.

However, when she looked back, she saw her white-haired companion staring at Singed, the mad chemist, before clutching her head and fainting on the ground.


End file.
